Japanese film director whose work was heavily influenced by the Hiroshima atomic bomb
The fact that the film director Kaneto Shindo, who has died aged 100, was born in Hiroshima affected his work both directly and indirectly. His films, such as Children of Hiroshima (1952), are valuable contributions to the cinema of hibakusha, the testimony of the survivors of the atomic bomb. Many of his movies are allegories on the absence of civilised behaviour in the conduct of war, exposing humankind's innate propensity towards violence and cruelty in the absence of a moral and spiritual code.
Much of his humanism and style derived from the director Kenji Mizoguchi, for whom Shindo wrote two screenplays. In 1975 Shindo paid homage to his mentor in a documentary, Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director. Like Mizoguchi, Shindo created many forceful women characters who, by virtue of their willpower and love, tend to "save" their male counterparts.
The fact that the film director Kaneto Shindo, who has died aged 100, was born in Hiroshima affected his work both directly and indirectly. His films, such as Children of Hiroshima (1952), are valuable contributions to the cinema of hibakusha, the testimony of the survivors of the atomic bomb. Many of his movies are allegories on the absence of civilised behaviour in the conduct of war, exposing humankind's innate propensity towards violence and cruelty in the absence of a moral and spiritual code.
Much of his humanism and style derived from the director Kenji Mizoguchi, for whom Shindo wrote two screenplays. In 1975 Shindo paid homage to his mentor in a documentary, Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director. Like Mizoguchi, Shindo created many forceful women characters who, by virtue of their willpower and love, tend to "save" their male counterparts.
- 5/31/2012
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Japanese actor Kei Sato was best known for his roles as screen villains. He starred in Kaneto Shindo’s 1964 horror film Onibaba, and was a ghost samurai in the supernatural thriller Kwaidan (1964). He was also featured as Chief Editor Gondo in Godzilla 1985 (1984).
Sato was born in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan, on December 21, 1928. He worked as a municipal government official in Fukushima before moving to Tokyo to study acting in 1950. He trained at the Haiyuza Theater and made his film debut in Masaki Kobayashi’s 1959 epic The Human Condition. He worked frequently with New Wave director Nagisa Oshima from the early 1960s, appearing in such films as Cruel Story of Youth (1960) and Night and Fog in Japan (1960).
His many screen credits also include Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai (1963), Zatoichi #13: Zatoichi’s Vengeance (1966), The Sword of Doom (1966), Irezumi (1966), Three Resurrected Drunkards (1968), Yotsuya Kaidan – Oiwa no Borei (a.k.a. The...
Sato was born in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan, on December 21, 1928. He worked as a municipal government official in Fukushima before moving to Tokyo to study acting in 1950. He trained at the Haiyuza Theater and made his film debut in Masaki Kobayashi’s 1959 epic The Human Condition. He worked frequently with New Wave director Nagisa Oshima from the early 1960s, appearing in such films as Cruel Story of Youth (1960) and Night and Fog in Japan (1960).
His many screen credits also include Bushido: The Cruel Code of the Samurai (1963), Zatoichi #13: Zatoichi’s Vengeance (1966), The Sword of Doom (1966), Irezumi (1966), Three Resurrected Drunkards (1968), Yotsuya Kaidan – Oiwa no Borei (a.k.a. The...
- 6/22/2010
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.